Next Sunday, we'll watch the most significant Packers-Bears game of our lifetime. For just the second time in 182 meetings, these ancient rivals will meet with a title on the line. Who could have imagined before the season that we'd get an all-NFC North title game and that the Vikings wouldn't be one of the teams playing in the game?

Both QBs are playing at their highest levels. Rodger dismantled the Falcons like a surgeon. Cutler was more like a boxer, delivering punches--even a couple with his feet. The reason these teams are playing for a Super Bowl berth is because their QBs stepped up in a big moment on a big stage and were the best players on the field in the divisional weekend.

Both teams also have defenses playing at a championship level. The Bears rely on crafty veterans like Urlacher, Peppers and Briggs, while the Pack has one Yoda guy in Charles Woodson, and a bunch of precocious kids in Matthews, Williams, Raji and Bishop.

When divisional rivals meet for a conference championship, you expect a close game. You expect each team to try something they haven't shown in the first two meetings. The Packers will look to take Devin Hester out of the equation (of course, if Tim Masthay gets to stay on the sidelines like he did in Atlanta it's a moot point) and keep Matt Forte from making big plays. The Bears will spend the week trying to find a scheme that will cool off Rodgers.

Weather might be the ultimate factor next Sunday. Rodgers admits he likes playing indoors. I'm pretty sure Soldier Field and it's soft squishy surface will feel a whole lot different than the carpet at the Georgia Dome.

We have all week to consider this historic matchup. For one team, a ticket to Super Bowl XLV. For the other a devastating knockout blow, delivered by their oldest rival, one that they'll have to live with the whole offseason.

The stakes couldn't be higher. The wait couldn't be more agonizing.

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Comments (32):

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sem calcinhaon February 28th, 2012 at 04:34pm

Extended forecast appears to be mid 20's partly cloudy. ideal for this time of year.

jakeon January 16th, 2011 at 08:55pm

on January 16th, 2011 at 08:56pm

OMG...not only is the SB in sight, but we got a big fat chance to in our 4th Lombardi Trophy on top of winning the Halas Trophy in Chi-town! Who would have thunk it when Miami, Washington, and Detroit were frustraing our Pack with those last second heartbreaks. I have a sneaking feeling that this next one will be equally impressive to the Dirty-Bird massacre. TT and co are rewriting how to run a "pro" football team....Are you listening PA??????

robert mcelrathon January 16th, 2011 at 10:00pm

Wish the Pack the best, but I'm sorry, it's going to be a repeat of the last playoff game between these two I saw when I was a kid. Maybe next year for you guys!

Papa Grizzlyon January 17th, 2011 at 04:34pm

Schenyschen, We must be long lost brothers. I emailed almost the same letter you blogged to p.a. 2 weeks ago. I do think it's more envy and jealousy then anything though. Some of my best friends are vike fans and they have admitted they want we have. Besides the 12 titles, better management, a stadium, and of course our QB"S . Like i said 3 weeks ago. ENJOY THIS> we were not supposes to be here after all the injuries so whatever happens, it's been a great year already. Punt out of bounds, kick off to corner with high hang time and don't turn it over and we'll win 24-16

larryon January 17th, 2011 at 06:01pm

Just some early observations and comments. Three negative factors against us...(1) PA picking the Pack .... (2) Sid Hartman picking the Packers by 2 touchdowns.....and (3) Las Vegas putting the line Pack by 3. Any longtime smart bettor knows that a home team dog by 3 is absolutely the best bet on the board. The stats show that the home team covers this 75-80% of the time. So.....lets win by 1 or 2 and let the Bears cover. On the first two PA and SID are almost always wrong.....Davy I know you tried to stear PA away from us on the Monday show with that prediction.....but I know with his distain for us he was trying to put on the curse. ...he does not want us winning !!! GO Pack GO !!!

OLD South Side Guyon January 17th, 2011 at 06:54pm

Larry, you have a "great Paul Allen mind". Perhaps you heard PA swearing off the Packers and becoming a Bears fan today. What a tortured soul he must be, lying on the radio like that trying to cinvince his Viqueen listeners he hates the Pack. --He loves Daveey and loves our squad. PA, for the love of God, be yourself man. Go Pack!

SchenySchenon January 17th, 2011 at 07:15pm

A few early week concerns: The bears do play us tough. Lovie has a way of keeping the bears in it. -- The field conditions may slow us down. Crappy field conditions lead to freak breakdowns like DB's falling down. The bears always seem to get lucky bounces like that. -- Was anyone else disturbed by mason crosby missing a field goal in the georgia dome and smiling about it afterward? I don't have confidence in our FG unit if it comes down to it. Go Pack! ps. i will get more upbeat as the week progresses.

SchenySchenon January 17th, 2011 at 08:10am

P.A. is so pathetic. All he has to hope for now is a Bear victory? Anything to keep Packer fans from rubbing one more thing in the Queens face - beating Chicago in the NFCCG when they couldn't get it done against NO. Regardless, losing the way they did, with a has-been QB doing what he always tended to do with all the chips on the line. Absolutely priceless PA - enjoy your week. And Dave - don't cut him an ounce of slack!

keeley2on January 17th, 2011 at 08:14pm

P.A. rooting for the Bears to win is petty and sad. His reluctance to give Aaron Rodgers full credit is also weak. The Vikings had two chances to draft Rodgers and passed on him. Maybe he's bitter about that.

Alon January 17th, 2011 at 09:16pm

This really is kind of a mini-superbowl, I mean if there were more than a week's time for this game, I bet there'd be special magazines out there like there have been for the retirement of you know who , it really does have an added factor to it, even the Strib write up was real good that I saw. Surely, division foes have met for the Championship not that long ago but these two do have real history and two very good teams this year, I do think the Bears are pretty good with some of the assistant coaches they have brought on in the past two years. They clearly are trying to maximize their potential though NE stiffed 'em good.

TeeCeeon January 17th, 2011 at 09:46pm

What an epic game. I really do not want the Pack to lose a game like this. I doubt it will be the blowout that we saw in ATL.

Patrickon January 17th, 2011 at 10:45am

The Cheesehead Prayer
Now I lay me down to bed
A wedge of cheese upon my head
Allegiance to the Packers I promise to keep
and cheer them on while I'm asleep.
If I should die, don't let me wonder,
Just bury me neath the frozen tundra.
But, Lord, before you take my soul,
Let me see the Pack in one more Super Bowl.
Forgive me Lord, for those I hated,
The Lions and Vikings, they're overrated.
The streets of heaven, so I've been told,
Are paved for us in green and gold.
If I get to heaven I'll have only one wish,
A big screen TV with a satellite dish
I pray for this Lord, for only one reason,
to cheer on my Pack to a winning season.
I'll close this prayer by thanking you Lord,
for listening to me and the time you afford.
But one more thing......please remember the Bears,
Because that's a team that hasn't a prayer!!!

Dave From Shakopeeon January 18th, 2011 at 08:39am

Cutler is not as steady as Rodger's. The Seahawks dropped a pick six that could have been a 14 point turn. It like this: Cutler throws you the ball, if you catch it, he'll throw it to you again. If you drop it, well, good luck getting another interception. Just catch the ball.

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Daianion May 18th, 2012 at 05:40am

by Annaji. Oh ! What a great revelation of the traidtional Bhartiya way of Life. “Perfect behavior, pure wisdom, untainted life, Sacrifice….” Do we agree with Anna really?Corruption rests in Mind of people and spreads in Rules, Finance, Society, System and overall. Communalism is another form of corrupted mind-set. We have to uproot this corruption from our mind from everybody. A common man to politician. From a businessman to a home tutor. We have to take an oath to save our country from corruption. Only bringing the stashed money from Swiss Bank will end the corruption? No. Enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill will end up corruptions? No. But, all these are the certain powerful tools to set strong machinery against Corruption. But unless and until the Human resources are free from corruption, nothing shall be happened.Thinking envious to the neighbors will make us corrupt, not discharging the stipulated responsibilities in time makes a vicious circle of corruption and bribes, debauchery in life tends a corrupted life, the sprawling subversiveness survives in corruption, Political ambitions without the prosperity of the people makes us completely “Corrupted” and my corruption and your corruption made this Nation, easy to say as “Corrupted”. Yes, this is the time to say no to “Corruption”. Anna started to set a “Corruption” free India. We have to follow it hermetically.Certainly the most significant feature of this Anti-Corruption Movement is to bring the mass from all strata of life, all beliefs, all rights group and different organisations across the country even touches the hearts of millions of Indians dwell out side India. The whole country saw the fervor of the growing sentiment in favor of Nationalism and against the political corrupts, bankrupt bureaucrats and the media moles in the system. And after all, the reluctant and repulsive Govt crowned with corruptions bent to the protesting populace demanding a strong law enforcement against Corruption with the direct representation o the Republic of India. Now such a necessary law is possible. That may be a nightmare of the corrupted politicians, bureaucrats, media moles, NGOists. But we have to draw the dream lines of the Corruption Free India for which millions of youngsters and the youths marched these days with the older generations even.Yes, only Anna can do this. Perhaps, He is the uncrowned King of India. All responded him to join the cause. The Bharat Swabhiman Trust, Art of Living, ABVP, RSS all joined with another thousands for this great cause. We saw Swami Ramdev and Ram Madhav in a frame. We saw Medha Patker and Anupam Kher side by side. The Buddhist monks and the Jain Munis were on the stage, at the same time Farah Khan could not resist her to reach Jantar Mantar, keeping aside her busy schedule of Bollywood. Hindus worshiped and offered ‘aahuti’ in Mass Yanga (fire rituals) in the street, while Muslims and Christians prayed for the success of Anna’s fast at Jantar Mantar. The whole India were with Anna these days and must remain with him. The feelings are My India, My Bharat – against inconsistency of the system so far, against big beefed ‘bhastrachar’ (corruption) in India. Anna surfaced the potential Oneness of India. Ekatma Bharat. And not detracting and rejecting any thing for the good of this Republic, Anna solicited the strength from Vivekananda to Gandhi, Laxmibai to Bhagat Singh-Chandrasekhar Azad, from Dayananda to Rammonhar Lohia. Anna symbolized him as a modern saint of India with a traidtional vision and values. Anna’s scientific approach for the rural reconstruction in Ralegan Siddhi with preserving all the Indian values and ethics may serve as a role model in every aspirant rural corners of India too. Now a modern India can stand up with its own identity along with rationality and modernity.I am still in the rhythms of little school girls who were shouting very enthusiastically in the street rally after Anna broke his fast in the fifth day – ‘Ek do tin char, dur karenge bhastrachar’ , ‘hamara neta kaisa ho, Anna Hazare Jaisa Ho’…. I was also clapping and shouting in the same way.Bande Mataram, Bharat Mata ki Jai. Jai Hind.

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